


The Trick About Falling (In Love, Apart, and A 1000 different Things)

by witched_kid



Series: The Trick About Falling [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blind Character, Established Relationship, F/F, I have been lovingly calling this fic a reverse slow burn and no i will not be explaining that, Lovers To Enemies, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Campaign 1 (Critical Role), Relationship Problems, Road Trips, an oc fic in the year 2021? more likely than you'd think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:01:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29474397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witched_kid/pseuds/witched_kid
Summary: It’s been two years and countless memories for Elaina but it all seems to be just moments away from collapsing. When word of an up coming assassination attempt reaches the her and her friends, will they be able to mend things enough to get get there in time or will the secrets long hidden by time rip them all apart?
Relationships: Vesper Elaina de Rolo | Percy and Vex'ahlia's Child/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Trick About Falling [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2164971
Kudos: 2





	1. Annie

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to finish up the good copy of this and post it for two years. I've bee working on this fic on and off for four years. I've decided to just say fuck it.

They always seemed to roll into town as close to midnight as possible after a job. While it would probably be the smarter decision to just spend another night out on the road and come make there way to Westruun in the daylight, it was an unspoken rule to spend as little time sleeping on the ground as possible. Of course by the time they actually made it home none of them were ever tired enough to go to sleep, so like clock work they ended up at a table in one of the sketchier taverns in the city. 

The Wayward Pony. 

‘One of’ was probably the wrong choice of words. It was run by The Clasp and was known to have people broke by the end of the night, be it gambling or the strings of coin purses being cut. Gabe always put up a bit of protest before they headed in but the rest of them would just tell him he was being paranoid. 

The sound of tankards being set down pulled her attention to where Quinn had walked back up. “You sure you don’t want another drink Gabe?”

“One of us has to stay at least relatively sober tonight,” the chair creaked as he shifted in his seat.

“Your loss,” he pushed one of the drinks closer to Annie, “I still don’t think you’ll be able to keep pace with me tonight.”

Elaina snorted, “You know she takes that as a challenge.”

“Okay, and?”

“I’m just saying it will be your problem if she passes out drunk and I will be making you carry her home drunk if she does.”

Annie rested her head on her shoulder and batted her eyelashes up at her, “Aw, do you not love me?’  
“Of course I love you,” Elaina shook her shoulder to get her head off, “I just know you are a competitive asshole who doesn’t know when to stop when trying to prove someone wrong.”  
“Hey! I know when to stop. I’m just celebrating a job well done.”

Felicity giggled from the other side of the table, “I do not know if I would call that a ‘job well done’.” 

“We lived didn’t we?”

“Hardly,” Gabe said under his breath.

Annie snapped her head to her brother, “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“Forget it. I don’t want to talk about this tonight.”

“Well that sucks, cause I do. What the fuck did you mean by that?”

“You made a stupid decision and nearly got yourself killed. If you had just listened to me it would have been fine but no, you had to wonder off by yourself and we got attacked by a bunch of knolls.”

“We all thought it was safe Gabe! We would have gotten attacked by them regardless if I was with you or not. You can’t just pin this all on me.”

“You were completely separated from the rest of us, you could have been seriously hurt if Quinn hadn’t thought quick enough to get to you.”

_He just sees you as a child who can’t take care of herself. He thinks you wouldn’t have been able to handle it._

“I’m a grown adult Gabriel! I’ve been doing this shit for years, I could have handled it.”

“Really? How many knolls were around? Do you even know how much danger you were actually in?”

Annie took a deep breath, it would be pointless to let her anger get the better of her now, “You can’t just use the fact that I’m blind against me like that. You know for a fact that I can take care of myself. I’ve done it before and I will do it again. Elaina back me up here.”

There was a pause, a perfect break in the conversation that held so much wait, before Elaina spoke, “He’s right.”

“What?” any idea of keeping her cool was tossed out the window.  
“You made a dumb decision and nearly got youself seriously. I know you know how to fight but there were five knolls between us and you, there is no way you would have been able to handle that yourself.” 

“This is such bull shit, Annie stood and grabbed her staff from where she had rested against the table, “I don’t have to sit here and listen to the two of you gang up on me like this.”

“So what?” Gabe said, “You’re just going to walk yourself home?”

“Why? Do you think I can’t handle that on my own? Do you want to start cutting up my food for me too?”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Save it it Gabe, I don’t want to hear any of your fucking excuses,” and she stormed off towards the door, any protests quickly joined the din of the busy tavern.oexactly what she needed. The tavern was too hot and her anger made it feel that much hotter. She could cool down and head back inside and maybe salvage what was left of the night. 

_They never have really trusted you, have they?_

Of course they have. None of them would have made it as far as they did if they didn’t trust each other.

_If they actually trusted you in a fight this argument wouldn’t be happening._

Maybe.

_If they actually believed in you they would have trusted you could have held your own until there was a need to actually step in. Instead they tell you you would have failed._

There was a lot Annie wanted to say to that. But any chance was cut off by the sound of the tavern door opening and Elaina’s voice ringing out into the night. 

“Did you really have to storm off like that?”

She sighed and leaned onto the staff, “It’s not my fault you two decided now was a good time to gang up on me in a fight.”

“Hey, I was planning on staying out of it until you dragged me in.”

“You’re supposed to have my back Elaina.”

“And I do, but there is a point where I have to say enough. You were in serious trouble during that fight Annie. We are both just worried about you.”

She dug her nails into her palms, “You can worry about me without treating me like a fucking child.”

“You are so dramatic.”

“Dramatic?” Annie rolled her eyes, “It’s hardly dramatic when I’m getting treated like a literal child for doing what we were being paid to do.”

“We were being paid to clear out a knoll encampment, not to do reckless shit that puts our lives on the line for no reason.”

“I don’t get how it was reckless. We walked into what seemed like a clear area, we had killed or driven away what we thought at the time was the rest of the knolls in the area. If it had been anyone else it would have been fine, but because it was me it’s reckless. Explain that one to me?”

She sighed, “I’m not going to fight about this right now.”

“No, I want you to say it Elaina. Tell me exactly why.”

“Annabelle…”

“Since you won’t say it I will. It’s because I’m blind and somehow you both keep forgetting that I do, in fact, know how to handle myself.”

“Oh stop acting like such a child.”

“A child?” Annie scoffed, “Oh go fuck yourself Elaina. If you really thought I was a child you wouldn’t be fucking me every other night.”

“You are so fucking infuriating! Why do you have to turn everything into a fight? If you would just learn that the whole world isn’t against you maybe you would actually be able to have a good night. But no, you have to go and try and make every person who even remotely cares about, hate you.”

She rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, pulling at a few tangles in the curls, “I’m not going to stand here and listen to this. I wanted to come back inside and try to have a good night but the idea of having to sit next to you is making my blood boil. If anyone asks, I went home.”

“You’re not going alone.”

“Why? Because you don’t think I would be able to handle the walk?”

“Because you’re drunk and exhausted and probably low on spells,” Elaina’s voice was defeated and tired, “I know for a fact you could get home just fine, just let me have this one peace of mind.”

_De Rolo’s, always with the dramatics._

“Fine,” Annie was sure their fight wasn’t done, but she wasn’t wrong. Somehow that stung a lot worse, “Just go tell the others we're leaving.”

The door to the house clicked closed behind her, the chill of a home that hadn’t seen people in weeks settled around her. She could hear Elaina making her way towards their room, probably putting away the bags they had ditched haphazardly when the five of them got back earlier that night. Annie rested her staff against the corner by the door, letting her hands linger on the intricate carvings made by her brother over the years.

“Could you get the fire started?” Elaina called from the bedroom.

She didn’t bother to respond, just made her way to the fireplace grabbing a handful of kindling.

_The fire starter is off to the left._

It was easy enough to start a fire, especially with the help of the ever present peanut gallery, a skill long perfected over the years of it just being her and Gabe. A couple strikes from the flint and she could hear the beginning of a fire that would eventually warm up most of the main floor.

She hears the door close and Elaina’s soft footsteps make her way back towards her. With a deep breath, Annie sat back onto her heels and added a few more larger pieces of wood, “We need to finish our conversation from earlier.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call that a conversation,” a chair creaked as she sat down, “But whatever you want to say, I think it can wait until the morning.”

“Funny, cause I think it can’t.”

“That’s just because you’re itching to have another full blown fight and I would prefer if it would stay at least decently civil.”

“I am not itching for a fight!”

“Then why can’t this wait for the morning.”

“Because if we wait for the morning you’ll just go ‘Oh can’t we just leave this with last night.’ or ‘I don’t want to argue about this again.’ when, in fact, we need to actually fucking talk about it.”

“Then fucking talk Annie,” Elaina said, frustration building in her voice, “See how long you can go without this tunring into another screaming match.”

She rolled her eyes, “This is the exact kind of shit I’m talking about. Neither of you trust me enough to have adult conversations with me. You always think the absolute worst of me.”

“Then stop proving us right. Anytime someone tells you that what you are doing is stupid or dangerous you go straight to arguring about it with them.”  
“Then stop treating me like someone who doesn’t know what I’m doing. I know how to think for myself and make those decisions. Just because you don’t understand what I’m doing doesn’t mean I haven’t thought through the consequences.”

“Then tell me that!” the chair creaked again as she stood and walked towards her, “I’m tired of being left in the dark and being forced to watch as you push yourself as close to death as you possibly can.”

Annie turned her head towards her, “Then stop looking.”

The air between them turned to ice as the silence filled the air. While Annie’s anger burned hot, Elaina’s was always cold. It unnerved her to a level she never quite understood.

When Elaina finally broke the silence, it felt earth shattering, “You are going to push us all away and by the time you realise you are all alone it will be far too late.”

“You wouldn’t have the guts to leave Elaina. Although then again, all you seem to know is how to run when things get too much for you to handle. You could always just go running back to your parents and pretend like none of this ever happened, leave it all behind like it was all just a bad dream.”

“Don’t bring them up into this.”

“Why? Because you don’t like facing the consequences of your actions? Because you think the whole world just revolves around you and your problems? If you really think this is just so terrible, then leave. Pack your shit and go home.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Then stop threatening that you will!” Annie shouted.

“Then stop acting like you want me to go!”

She stood up, the task of making sure the fire actually got started properly long since forgotten, “Well look at that we’ve circled back to the beginning, all I want is for you to treat me like I’m not stupid. Treat me like the adult I am and maybe I won’t want you to go.”

“I’m sick of this. I’m going to bed. If you decide to be a reasonable person then you can join me.”

“Oh no,” Annie took a few steps forward and grabbed the back of Elaina’s shirt, “I am not done with this conversation yet.”

She whirled back around, “Well I am.”

“I just want you to treat me like a person you love rather than a fucking burden. Is that too much to ask?”

There was another pause and Annie was expecting for her to walk away again, or to yell something back. And then she kissed her. And anything else could wait for the morning.


	2. Elaina

She can’t tell if it’s the early morning light or the sound of someone milling about the kitchen that woke her, but it really didn’t matter, she was awake. Elaina contemplated for just a moment to wake up Annie, try to at least solve the fight from the night before, or one of the several others they had had in the last few weeks, but one glance at the sleeping girl next to her and she knew there was no way she could. Be it the little bit of morning light spilling onto her face or the way her curls fanned out on the pillow like a halo or that she just didn’t want to break the silence.

So instead she gently sat up and placed her feet on the ground. The floor was just cold enough to send a chill up Elaina’s spine but she ignored it, threw on some clothes, and made her way out to the kitchen. 

Unsurprisingly she found Felicity and Quinn quietly chatting while making breakfast. “Hope you’re making enough for more than just you two.”  
“What do you take me for? An asshole?” Quinn asked, his lopsided grin making her roll her eyes.

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

He clutched his chest, “You wound me Elaina. Destroying our friendship over something like breakfast.”

“Oh, leave her alone you bully,” Felicity said tapping his arm with her tail, “Besides that, you know I would not let him leave the rest of you go hungry.”

“At least one of you actually cares about us.”

“I literally just said I wouldn’t not make the rest of you breakfast.”

Elaina just laughed and rolled her eyes, “What are you two making anyways?”

“Just some eggs, toast, and we picked up some fruit while we were out too.” Felicity heald up an apple while glancing over her shoulder at her.

“I am so excited for some real food.”

“You and me both.” She must have missed the sound of Gabe coming up the stairs, two focused on the idea of not eating rations for breakfast.

Elaina saw him glance over to her bedroom door before she caught his gaze, “She’s still sleeping; figured she needed it. She hardly sleeps when we are out on the road anyways.”

He sighed, “Fair enough.”

“She’ll be fine Gabe,” Quinn tossed hi an apple, “She was probably just cranky last night, and if I’m guessing right Elaina prob-”

“Shut the fuck up Quinn.”

“Hey I’am just speaking the truth,” he said with a laugh.

“And I don’t want to hear that about my little sister you asshole.”

“Sorry dude.”

“So he gets an apology but I don’t?” Elaina crossed her arms.

He raised an eyebrow, “Was I wrong?”

Elaina went to answer but she was cut off by Annie, “No, you weren’t. Still, I don’t think you need to be analyzing what we do behind closed doors though.”  
“Whatever,” he rolled his eyes.

Felicity elbowed him, “You do have perfect timing though. Breakfast is just about done.”

“If you don’t think that’s why I decided to get up after listening to you two bicker you are underestimating my ability to deal with Quinn this early in the morning.”  
Elaina chuckled, “Fair enough. Coffee?”  
“Please.” Annie made her way over to the table and sat down in her normal seat. She yawned and shook her head, like she was trying to shake out the last of the sleep that clung to her. 

Elaina set a cup of coffee down in front of her and took the little head tilt towards her as a thank you. “You look like you have something on your mind.”  
“It’s getting cold.”

“And?” Quinn chimed in as he carried two plates to the table.

“And, I was think if we were going to take up another job before the cold really starts to set in or if we were going ot take a break and be stuck doing shity winter jobs.”  
“They are not that bad,” Felicity set a plate in Elaina’s usual spit next to Annie.

“Bad enough,” she mumbled, “Either way, we do have to decided if we are taking a break before winter sets in or after.”

“Gabe can you please tell your sister she’s being paranoid and we have plenty of time before we have to make up our minds,” Quinn said as he carefully watched Gabe place down his sister’s plate. She knew in an instant whatever he was planning was not a great idea.

“You have to remember Quinn, she does hate the cold.”

“And you two can also remember that I am sitting right here and you can talk about me like I am in the room.”

“Yeah yeah,” he said absentmindedly as he slowly moved his hand forward, eyes locked on one of her pieces of bacon.

There was a moment where Elaina thought he might actually get away with his plan, until she saw the slightest twitch in Annie’s posture towards Quinn and she knew the jig was up for him. He was a second away from grabbing the bacon when Annie picked up the knife next to her and stabbed it into the table an inch from his hand.

“Try that shit again and I won’t miss next time.”

He wrinkled his nose, “Fine.” He picked at his own breakfast for a moment before her turned back to Annie, “How did you even know I was there.”

“You are less subtle than you think you are,” she said with a shrug.

Elaina bit back a bit of laughter, “Sorry dude, you couldn’t sneak up on a dead rat let alone one of us.”

“Besides,” Felicity grabbed Quinn’s free hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, “We made plenty enough food for all of us.”

The soft look in his eyes’ could have melted ice. “I know, she’s just the most fun to pick on.”

“I want you to pick your next sentence very carefully Quinn,” Annie picked back up the knife before Gabe snatched it out of her hands. “Hey I might need that.”

“You can punch him like a friend if he really pisses you off. I do not want to be healing stab wounds this early.”

“I was just going to say that you are the easiest to get a rise out of, which my very point has been proven.”

Annie laughed, “Whatever asshole. Just don’t steal my bacon.”

“I make no promises.”

After breakfast clean up Annie dipped back to the bedroom, saying she needed to get ready for the day. Elaina wasn’t far behind her. Closing the door behind her with a solid click she turned to where she was sitting on the bed.

“Were you serious about wanting more work before it starts to get too cold?” Elaina made her way over to the dresser.

“Sort of,” she fell back onto the bed, “I just hate working in the snow and figured we should at last try to ride out the first snow fall her in town instead of out on the road. But I also know everyone doesn’t want to head out right away.”

“You’re not wrong about that.” She could see the defeat in her face as she pulled on a shirt she could wear out. “But I don’t think that means we can’t at least poke our heads into what kind of jobs are floating around right now. And if I think about it, I can think of one barkeep we haven’t harassed in a while.”

Annie sat up and turned, a grin already spreading across her face, “You’re thinking of bothering Trevor.”

“Maybe. I mean, as long as he hasn’t changed his schedule he should be working this morning.”

“Oh I am so in,” she paused, “Wait there is no way Gabe will let us go though.”

“Who said anything about telling Gabe?”

“You want to lie to him?”

“No no no, not lie. Just tell him we are going out for a walk if he asks. Which isn’t lying, it just so happens that we are walking to the Wayward Pony. Besides We aren’t getting any work.”

“We are just seeing what’s out there.”

“Exactly. We might as well know what kind of work we should be expecting when we do decide to go get a job.” 

“I love the way you think,” Annie said as she stood, her smile just vibrant, “Are you wanting to head out now?”

“The sooner the better. I can’t remember when he would be off.” 

“Well hurry up and get changed then.”

“Impainent.”

“I would like to get out of the house for a second, and bother Tervor sooner rather than later.”

Elaina chuckled, “You know this is probably the exact reason he doesn’t like you very much.”

“No he doesn’t like me very much because I treat him how he treat others,” she grabbed one of her skirt from her own small of dressers, “He’s so used to dishing it out he forgets what it’s like to have someone not put up with his shit.”

“Oh I’m sure there are plenty of people who don’t put up with his shit.”

“Sure there is, I just doubt any of them are 5’1 nineteen year olds. All the people who make sure they get treated with respect by him are probably more like Gabe’s size.”

With a roll of her eyes she twisted her hair up into a bun, trying her best to tuck the white streak out of sight, “They probably all have a better attitude than you too.”

“Be nice or I’ll make you go alone.”

“No you won’t. You want to see how fast you can get him to tell you to leave.”  
She shrugged, “You’re not wrong.” She ran her fingers through her curls a few times pulling out a few stray tangles, “You could to go?”

“After you.”

They almost made it through the front door without being stopped. Felicity and Quinn had a few books scattered out on the table and just gave a quick nod as they went to leave. If Gabe hadn’t come back up from the basement they would have been home free, but whatever weird older bother sense he had dragged him up the stairs before they could even manage to get the door open.

“Where are you two off to?”

Annie leaned on her staff and half turned to him, “Just out on a walk.”

“Oh let me grab something a little warmer and I’ll come with you. I’ve been meaning to get some air.”

There was a moment as he turned to head back to his room where Elaina thought she’d have to tell him no but Annie took a deep breath, “No.”

“What?”

“I want to go on a nice walk with my girlfriend without having my brother chaperoning us like I’m twelve. Is that too much to ask?”

He glanced at Elaina and she could see the doubt in his eyes, “It’s just a walk Gabe, take a deep breath. We’ll be back in no more than two hours.”

Annie slipped her arm around her’s, “See? It will be fine Gabe, you don’t need to worry I promise.”

“Fine,” he sighed, “Can you two try at least to be back before lunch?”

“Yes dad,” she stuck her tongue out at him, “Come on, let’s go.”

“See you all later,” she called over she shoulder as Annie pulled her out the door.

They were a dozen paces from the house when Annie laughed, “It’s like he knows when we are up to no good.”

“And this is why I’m glad I’m the oldest and don’t have to worry about things like this.”

“Aren’t you a twin?”

“And I am still the oldest and if you ever meet him and he tries to telly ou different, kick him in the shins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! I did keep up with my schedule. Wild.  
> I'm very excited for Trevor to show up next chapter.  
> Elaina's got a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1EmfS6xPFI5kCFv1RRwsuS?si=1b841c83fa744cae) now you can go check out. I'm gonna try and make one for each of the main five.  
> I also remembered how to do hyperlinks so look at me go.  
> You can still follow me on tiktok @witched_kid and tumblr @witched-kid

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try and update on either Sundays or Mondays, can't promise anything though.  
> You can come yell at me about the fic on my tumblr, @witched-kid, or my tiktok, @witched_kid.  
> There is a playlist for this fic which you can find on spotify here —> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5eYmL1VwCTlajAxG09BD1I?si=37332329dd6f4b42


End file.
